This invention relates generally to vacuum cleaners, and more particularly, to commercial vacuum cleaners having a relatively large soil retention tank and a relatively large and powerful vacuum fan.
As is well known in the art, it is highly desirable for any vacuum cleaner to be easily handled for moving about in the work area, and it is also desirable that the soil retention container of the vacuum cleaner be easily and conveniently emptied and restored in the vacuum cleaner in condition for use. In vacuum cleaning devices known heretofore it was necessary either to remove a clumsy and dirty soil retention bag from the vacuum cleaner, or to disconnect hose attachments from a removable recovery tank in order to remove the tank to be emptied. In either of the above cases, it was highly likely that soil would be spilled in the area of the vacuum cleaner, and therefore it was necessary to transport the entire vacuum cleaner device out of the area being cleaned to a disposal area for emptying the soil retention container. In the latter case described above, the attachments had to be reconnected before the cleaning operation could resume.
Accordingly, there has existed a need for a vacuum cleaning device which is convenient to operate and which includes a soil retention tank which can be easily and neatly removed from the vacuum cleaner, transported to a disposal area for emptying, and replaced in the vacuum cleaner in condition for continued use. As will become apparent from the following, the present invention satisfies that need.